What Does The Bible Say About alcoholic Beverages?

Question: Should a Christian drink alcoholic beverages?

Answer: Ephesians 5:18 says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." It is definitely a sin to get drunk. The question then arises, when am I drunk.

Webster's dictionary defines "drunk" as when a person consumes alcohol "to the point of impairment of physical and mental faculties." How much alcohol does it take to cause impairment? Not much according to the latest studies.

The following are the reasons the Bible gives in Proverbs 23:29-35 as to why drinking alcohol is foolish.

Alcohol Causes Depression, Conflict, and Pain

Proverbs 23:29-30 "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine."

Alcohol is a depressant causing a chemically induced depression of "woe" and "sorrow." Alcohol does not relieve depression but deepens it. Luke 21:34 says "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap."

As a depressant it makes people argumentative and violent. Drunken brawls are common. There are many needless bruises, injuries and deaths due to such conflicts.

Alcohol Is a Subtly Deceptive Poison

Proverbs 23:31-32 "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper."

Here the Bible not only tells us not to drink alcohol, it tells us don't even "gaze" at it.

Sparkling smooth Alcohol is compared to deadly snake poison. In others words, it is suicide.

Alcohol Destroys Reason and Self-control.

Proverbs 23:33 "Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things."

Alcohol is a known to confuse the mind and destroy the ability to reason. This inability to reason robs us of self-control. To lack self-control is to be open to the Devil's attack. Proverbs 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." To give up self-control is to give Satan control.

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Alcohol Hurts the Body Which Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

Proverbs 23:34 "You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging."

Alcohol is unhealthy. Like all other sin, it kills. Alcohol is a poison that destroys brain cells, internal organs, and mental function.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

1 Corinthians 3:17 "If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are."

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Its only use should be in "little" doses for medicinal purposes. 1 Timothy 5:23 "Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."

Notice that Timothy didn't drink any wine, but only water. Timothy has to be told to drink wine for his stomach ailment. Dysentery was a common problem in Bible times due to a lack of clean water. Wine mixed with water would kill the bacteria that were causing his stomach sicknesses. It is NOT a sin to use alcohol for medicine.

Alcohol Is Addictive

Proverbs 23:35 "They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?"

Notice it says "when will I wake up so I can find another drink." The person is not even over the ill effects of his last drinking episode and he is longing for more. Addiction has taken over many lives and ruined jobs, families, and marriages.

Christians have liberty to eat and drink anything but not if it controls them or is habit forming. 1 Corinthians 6:12 "Everything is permissible for me" but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" but I will not be mastered by anything." We have liberty in Christ but not to do things that are unbeneficial or that we will be "mastered" by. Anything that masters our will and controls us should be avoided. Anything addictive should be cut out of our life. Another example of this is tobacco.

The reason addiction is so treacherous is the eternal consequence of the unbroken addiction. A drunkard will not go to heaven unless he repents. God wants to forgive the drunkard. God has mercy on all sinners and longs for them to repent and turn to his grace. We at Jerome Christian Church love all people and would love to help anyone overcome drunkenness and addiction. There are many organizations that can help an alcoholic repent. If you have a drinking problem you need to seek help. Sadly for some, this repentance never comes because their love for the drink is greater than their love for God.

Just a few verses before Paul commands us not to be drunks, he writes in Ephesians 5:15 "Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise." Proverbs has shown us that the wise person will not even look at Alcohol, muchless drink it. The foolish person will. For the above reasons, alcohol should be totally avoided except for limited medicinal purposes.

1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God."

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